


You'll Always be My Favorite Ghost

by AHHHH123



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Marriage of Convenience
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:09:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29577993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AHHHH123/pseuds/AHHHH123
Relationships: Theon Greyjoy/Jeyne Poole
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Theon

Things got better over time, his hair grew back black his scars faded, a maester crafted him a set of false teeth. He learned how to stuff gloves and boots to hide his missing fingers and toes, he put on weight and muscle and stood tall again, stood like a son of the iron isles, the Prince he once claimed to be.

Jeyne was doing better too, she had lost the tip of her nose to frostbite, and still jumped at any noise but she smiled now, not often but it happened. She lived with Sansa now, she had a somewhat official position as a lady in waiting but Sansa never saw her as such, she was and always would be her oldest friend. 

Her intentions were probably well meant, but as minor lords and second sons saw the favor Jeyne had with Sansa and the other Starks, they thought her hand would be the perfect tool for their social climbing amibutions. 

It was a feast at Winterfell, Ser Hyhill well in his cups, he tapped Jeynes shoulder, she jumped, he laughed, she faked a laugh too. 

“Lady Jeyne may a say you look  _ lovely  _ tonight” he told her lending towards her she took a step back

“Surely, you are too kind Ser” he took another gulp of wine

“My lady will you dance with me?” 

“Perhaps some other time” from the deus, Sansa watched her eyes narrow like a hawk, and she stood starting to walk towards the pair. 

“No I insist!” he grabbed her wrist and she froze in fear, like a faun, eyes wide. 

“I sorry Ser Hyhill but the Lady had promised to walk the grounds with me” Hyhill dropped Jeynes wrist, and turned to face Theon Greyjoy. Theon looked down at the knight, who was red and pulp. Theon was about 5 inches taller and much stronger. In the years since he escaped Winterfell he lived in a small isolated keep between the north and iron isles, he hated feeling weak, it reminded him of his helpless, pitiful state. He never wanted to feel like that again. He walked sometimes for miles, he swam and chopped wood and he grew strong again maybe even stronger then his youth but he never trained in a yard and held a sword. But Hyhill didn’t know that. 

Hyhill cleared his throat “Of course, m’lord” and stepped aside. Sansa raised an eyebrow from across the room, and Jeyne gave an almost insuperable nod, and Sansa returned to the deus. Theon offered his arm and Jeyne took it. 

“I hope you don’t mind-” Theon started once they were outside

“No-” Jeyne interrupted “I don’t I wanted to get some air anyways” they were silent for a moment, as they walked towards the God’s wood, 

“The nerve of that guy-” Theon said aloud referring to Hyhill Jeyne jumped on the opportunity to end the awkward silence 

“I know!” 

“I mean, his hair!” he pushed back his hair to mimic the knights receding hairline,”it’s probably trying to get away from his  _ breath _ ” 

“Theon! You’re beastly” 

“Oh please you’re one to talk, what was that little nickname you gave Arya?” 

Jeyne looked away embarrassed “horseface” she admitted but Theon laughed and she did too “perhaps we’re both a little beastly” Theon nodded his agreement. 

Then they both stopped dead in their tracks. A wave of memory crashed over them as they realized where they were. It was so similar tonight and the night Jeyne and Ramasay Bolton wed. And now they stood at the edge of the little footpath that led to the heart tree Jeyne’s little hand on his arm but it was different now, there were no boltons waiting for them anymore - they were free. 

“Come on” Theon inclined his head away from the heart tree “I now I place” Jeyne nodded gratefully and Theon led her to an old oak with a hot spring below. This was where he used to swim with Robb and Jon Snow after training in the yard, where he took serving girls after flirting a lifetime ago. 

Now Jeyne sat under the oak tree her eyes closed, and Theon sat besides her. Her cheeks were pink for the cold and sudden heat of the hot-spring. Theon pulled off his gloves. He didn’t like too but his palms were sweaty and Jeyne would not be surprised by his missing fingers, she wouldn’t judge him or pity him. She was the only other person who understood.

Placing his hand beside him it grazed Jeyne’s littlefinger, he swallowed hard under certain but Jeyne put her hand on top of his and their fingers intertwined. She shuttered a bit as a cold wind blew the steam of the spring away from them and Theon pulled his cloak over her. She smiled and nudged closer toward him. 

The heat of their body’s warmed each other under the cloak, as Theon noticed Jeyne’s breathing swallowed and entered a repetitive pattern of sleep. She head nuzzled in the crook under his arm. He lent his head against the tree and fell asleep too.

Jeyne

When she woke Theon was still asleep, his arm was on top of her trapping her; only  _ trapping  _ wasn’t the right word at all,  _ protecting  _ not  _ trapping _ . She tried to stay still, she didn’t want to disturb him, she knew that a peaceful sleep was something precious to Theon. People think that what Ramasay took were things like her innocence or Theon’s fingers and toes but the things that he took that Jeyne really really hated him for were things like a peaceful full night’s sleep, the name she called herself in her head  _ I am not Ayra Stark  _ she reminded herself out of habit  _ My name is Jeyne Poole, my father was Vayon Poole the steward of Winterfell _ . You had to remember your name. 

Theon’s eyelashes fluttered, he was awake, he smiled, removing his arm she suddenly felt very cold without it.

“We should head back in - people will be wondering where you are”

“People will wonder where both of us are”

Theon gave the type of smile someone gave a child who said something silly that they didn’t want to disprove “I don’t think so- I think people will be glad that I’m gone for the nonce I make them unformable, maybe it’s the rumors that started after Ramasy but people find me  _ intimidating _ ” he voice dripped with sarcasm that didn’t quite cover his pain as well as he thought it did.

“Sometimes I wish I could be more intimidating perhaps I should get some metal teeth” she tapped his lip under which his teeth were more often gold then natural he playful swatted her face away and gave a fake laugh Jeyne straightened becoming more serious “I’m serious through these men the ones like Hyhill they think they can walk all over me that I some helpless creature” Theon placed a hand on her shoulder

“You’re not” he told her

Jeyne hand went to her eye to wipe away a tear, “I know that- only they don’t seem to, they see me as some prize to marry do you know how many offers I’ve gotten in the past month”

“How many?” Theon asked in an exaggerated manner. 

“FIVE”

“Five?”

“Five!”

“Well I haven’t gotten any the eldest son of a noble house, a bit surprising really” Jeyne’s eyes sparkled as her mind fired and she smiled faintly. Theon jumped onto her train of thought 

“Ahh” he sighed knowingly knitting his fingers together behind his head. 

“Ahh indeed”   



	2. And so it begins...

Theon Greyjoy took out his official stationary and had someone copy down the word he dictated, he looked over the letter and seal a it in black wax and stamped in his kraken seal, on the back in wrote “for the attention of Dagmer Cleftjaw; Castellan of Pyke” in his childish hand it wasn’t unusually for a Lord of the Iron Isles to have a Castellan but there were mostly used for when the Lord went a-raiding, not gardening as Theon did. 

His sister Asha had declared the Kingsmoot void because he had not been present, they called him ‘Theon Latecomer” and hostered him on their shoulders, he felt that the people loved him. Then he learned they simply hated his uncle Euron more. It was a trick that he had fallen for Asha didn’t want him to be the Lord, she used him as a pond to depose Euron and placed a stack of papers in front of him telling him he only needed to leave his mark. Much to Asha’s dismay he  _ read  _ the papers first, one declared her his heir  _ fair enough _ , another his hand, another his Castellan, if he signed them all  _ as Asha wanted _ , then she would rule the Iron Isles in all but name. No, he didn’t sign any of them. He was so angry, angry at the world, angry at Asha for thinking him a fool, his father for never loving him for selling him to Ned Stark in exchange for a pardon, at Ned for being neither father nor jailer but a cruel mix of both, but most of all at himself. 

So he got his revenge in the way he would hurt Asha the most, he declared someone else his Castellan and then he left. Asha left too with a furry taking a great deal of longboats and captains with her, last he heard she went South to raid. 

  
\-----  
  


“Sansa-” she was distracted looking over accounts, checking stores in preparation for winter no doubt,

“Jeyne what a lovely surprise!” Sansa got up to clasp Jeynes hands in hers, eyes shining. 

“Yes-yes well”

“Is there something that you wanted to talk to me about?” Sansa looked into Jeynes eyes deeply and her knees weakened, Jeyne ran a hand through her hand nervously,

“No” she lied “no it’s nothing I just wanted to say hi, sorry for disturbing you” 

“You’re never a disturbance Jeyne!”

“Well I should be going, you looked busy” Jeyne turned to go but as her hand was on the door knob she heard Sansa call out again, a shiver went down her spine

“Actual I wanted to ask you something” 

“What?”

“Where were you last night? I saw you leave the feast but I never saw you come back in”

“I went to the Godswood” Jeyne answered neglecting to mention Theon “I fell asleep, it was very late when I came back”

Sansa pursed her lips “You shouldn’t sleep outside anymore, you’ll caught a chill, winter is coming”

“I won’t, I promise” Jeyne left the room dashed down the hall and shut herself in another room, it was used for storage chairs that were set out for last night's feast now were stacked against the walls, she slumped against the closed door at her back and melted to the floor.  _ Well that went terribly  _ she reflected. She took deep breaths and tried to stop herself from shaking. 

“Woah, what’s up with you” Jeyne got up, startled she thought her was alone, it was only Ayra, sitting next to the opened window on the far side of the room, she was smoking too, some medically plant the maesters keep that Jeyne hear had  _ side effects,  _

“Do you if I try?” Jeyne asked, holding a hand out to Arya. Arya smirked and passed it over,

“You look like you need it more than me, what happened”

Jeyne took a tentative drag and exhaled before responding “I was talking with Sansa”

“Say no more!” Ayra held up her hands sympathetic“I understand completely”  _ that  _ made Jeyne laugh besides herself,

“No, no it’s not like that, it only meant to tell her something but when she was standing there in front of me I panicked,” she took another drag before handing back Ayra’s joint. 

“What did you want to tell her?'' Ayra asked, trying not to sound as curious as she was.

“That I’m engaged” Jeyne admitted quietly “where do you get these anyways” Jeyne changed to subject to the joint they were sharing. 

Ayra swallowed and nodded to herself, “engaged, well that's a biggie” 

“It isn't. Gods and I could even bring myself to tell Sansa,”

“She bound to figure it out sooner or later when you’ve popped out a few kids or so, she bound to think ‘who's that guy hanging around Jeyne all the time and why did she stop signing her name ‘Poole’” Jeyne rolled her eyes at Ayra who was undeterred “who is the guy anyways?”

“Theon” Ayra choked smoke coming out of her nose,

“Theon  _ Greyjoy _ ” 

“Yes”

“Well then” Ayra stared out the window for a long moment saying nothing, “I’ll talk to Sansa for you”

Jeyne perked up “you will?”

Ayra shrugged “yeah sure why not” 

\-----

Dagmer knew who the letter was from the moment he saw it, sure many Greyjoys could use such a seal but only one wrote like they were missing fingers, the one that was. Dagmer couldn’t write himself, but he did have his share of bad luck in the finger game. 

He got a maester to read Theon’s message to him;

**_Dear, Dagmer Cleftjaw_ **

**_I am writing to tell you that you can expect my return to Pkye in the next week, weather permitting. I am to be wed to Jeyne Pool of Winterfell, and I am afraid we must plan a wedding. I’m sure I have a lot to do, and I’m long overdue in the isles._ **

**_Theon Greyjoy, Lord of The Iron Isles_ **

“Well I’ll be damned” Dagmer muttered as he stroked his aptly named jaw. 


	3. Chapter 3

Theon once had a ship called ‘Sea Bitch’ she burnt long ago. He had plenty of new ones now. It was one of the few requirements for a Lord of the Iron Isles. The one he chose to make the voyage on was swift and not pacticary big it could be crewed by 12 men less if the wind was on your side. He said good-bye to Jeyne. 

“Before I forget” he pulled out a small parcel and handed it to Jeyne, she tugged the ribbon with a suspicious yet pleased smile. When she pulled out the bracelet she gasped, that made Theon smile “I thought I ought to get you an engagement gift” she held up it as a single pearl on a sapphire studded chain “White and blue right? House Poole’s colours right” Theon was unsure of her reaction now, at first he thought she looked pleased but now he wasn’t certain she looked on the edge of tears. 

“I-I” she started eyes wide and shiny  _ gods did something wrong! There something wrong with the bracelet or more likely me  _ “thank you” Jeyne finished and embraced Theon, he stiffened, unsure of himself he would never presume to touch her, but now she was holding him, now they were holding either other. His shoulder was wet with her tears but he placed his arms around her back “thank you” she muttered over and over again.

They parted and Theon kissed her quickly on the cheek “I have to go now”, Jeyne nodded back at him.

“Of course, you men await their captain” 

“And Pyke awaits it’s Lady” he boarded and the ship began to pull away, he looked back and waved to Jeyne standing on the dock she was waving to him he suddenly felt so normal so right. He was just a normal lad again, about to marry a beautiful woman how lucky had he become? Theon laughed at himself no one denine that he had shit for luck his family, Ramsay Bolton yes he had shit for luck. He looked back at Jeyne, a receding shape getting blurry and small as the boat rowed further into the sea. Perhaps even an unlucky man is allowed to get lucky once.

It wasn’t long before they arrived on Pkye, to be fair people pretended to be happy to see him, and Clefjaw truly was, demanding meat and mead in his honor. It was good fair and Theon was content to dine in quiet solace and the celebration went on around them. Someone had started a round of the ‘the finger game’ and tried to pull Theon into a game. He took off one of his gloves and showed his shorted fingers, the man laughed, Theon laughed too, one of his favorite parts of the iron isles was that no one read too much into missing fingers.

The door at the entrance of the hall opened Theon could make out how entered but the hall quickly went silent as the crowd parted. He saw she then hands causally on her hips, his sister - Asha Greyjoy. 


	4. Chapter 4

What did she think she was doing? Coming here now? Her hand was causally resting on her hip very devil-may-care of her but Theon did not forget that it was only inches above her axe, or that she liked to keep a dagger hidden in her stays. 

“Hello brother” she walked forward the silence hall filled with the sound of her echoing footsteps. 

“Asha- I’m glad you're here I wanted to send you an invitation to my wedding, but no one knew where you could be found” 

“That’s exactly what I came to speak to you about”

“How sweet”

“Yes” her voice was poisonous “I think you would be more comfortable if we talked in private”

“Suit yourself, Dagmer see to my guest me and my sister will retire to the solar” 

Once inside the solar Theon took to pouring two glasses of arbor wine as Asha began ranting.

“Are you out of your mind?!” he handed her one cup and took the other from himself, I don’t think so but I’ve been wrong before “It’s one thing for you to steal the Iron Isles from me and it’s another to purposely run it into the ground!”

“I don’t know what you mean”

“Don’t play the fool Theon, you’re already enough of one to began with”

“I seriously don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t recall stealing anything” 

Asha glared at him “the iron isles should have been mine” her voice as so hateful so resentful, Theon had to make sure he wasn’t shaking when he respond 

“I am the eldest son of Balon Greyjoy I was elected by Kingsmoot by our laws and the laws of the seven kingdoms I am the rightful Lord of Pyke” he was cool, calm and composed which only served to make Asha all the madder she threw her wine cup at Theon. He didn’t think she intended to hit him, it went wide over his head but he did shutter at the sound of glass hitting stone behind him.

“You don’t care about the Isles! Go back to you precious Winterfell, you were never a child of Pkye like me! You don’t deserve to rule, this farce of a marriage proves it” 

Theon sipped his wine thinking, something he was never especially good at “I don’t care?” he finally echoed. Asha folded her arms across her chest and nodded. “17 years” 

“What?” Asha asked curiosity getting the best of her 

“17 years, 17 years I was a captive- I was a captive to prevent the Isles from being burned to the ground. What have you sacrificed? Why should you deserve to rule!” Theon took a sip of wine and smoothed his hair forcing himself to calm down before continuing “Now, I do hope you stay for my wedding, but I will take this from you- this is my castle you are here on my leave” 

Asha poured herself a new glass of wine, Theon chose not to comment on the fate of the first one. “That’s another thing, what are you getting at with this marriage?”

“Hopefully a wife”

“Jeyne Poole- a girl of no great house or fortune and a reputation why her?”

Theon tensed at the word “reputation” not wanting to think about all the implications. 

“Why not”.


End file.
